Krypto #52: Krypto's Three Transformations

From: Superboy #111 (March 1964)

In "Krypto's Three Amazing Transformations, a big chunk of Red Kryptonite crashes on Bizarro World, and Bizarro #1 decides to give it to Krypto, but breaks the time barrier by accident and drops it in the past, where Superman is still a boy. Why so convoluted? Is it to introduce the time barrier so Krypto can then try to retreat into it and have time travel/Red K adventures?! Well, the red rock follows and Krypto is turned into a gynormous red parrot in the days of pirates and of Sinbad - it's a crossover I can't help but think is anachronistic.

In fact I'm sure it is, because Sinbad's vessel looks just like a Spanish galleon too. Krypto saves the riverdancing hero of the 1001 Nights and becomes the basis of the Roc myth in one fell bombing raid.

Because Sinbad writes in his log that night that they were saved by a red roc(k). An ink stain takes that final "k" away. Anyway, Krypto flies to 1871 and feels that special tingle again. His Red K experience isn't over. He turns into a cow. Let the disturbia begin:

You know the year, so can you tell what legen-dairy cow Krypto actually was? That's right. Mrs. O'Leary's cow, the one blamed for starting the Great Chicago Fire.

He has the power to help, but let's move on before he breaks the Temporal Prime Directive or something. He flies to his own time, finally, but in South America, just in time to protect townsfolk from an escaped circus lion. But no, he doesn't turn into a lion despite his proximity to the King of the Jungle. Instead, he becomes a local llama.

So he's figured it out. There's a musical component to these transformations. Well okay, though it's the last so there's really no way to use that information now. Coincidentally and because this thing's not convoluted enough yet, Superboy is called to the Andes because a mine's caved in. Unfortunately, there's a Green Kryptonite boulder in the mix and no one in South America knows what to do. Except this here super-llama.

And WHY did Krypto land in the Andes at all? Why did he have to become a llama? Let me give you the punch line:

Groan.

Meanwhile, in another story in the same issue... Lana puts a transmitter on Krypto's collar so she can get "psychic scoops" about Superboy's comings and goings.

But she somehow doesn't hear him spill the beans about being Clark Kent. Huh. Krypto hangs around the whole time, not really doing anything, until it's time for Superboy to find the bug and humiliate Lana. You know how it goes.